Israel Building Border Fence to Stop Influx of Illegal Aliens from Africa

[bobbyw24]

Israel to Build Fences on Egyptian Border

Monday, January 11, 2010

JERUSALEM — Israel will construct fences on its long and porous southern desert border with Egypt in a bid to halt a growing flood of African refugees and asylum seekers who have poured into the Jewish state in recent years, officials said Monday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said two fences would run along parts of the 150-mile southern border with Egypt.

"This is a strategic decision to ensure the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement. "Israel will remain open to war refugees but we cannot allow thousands of illegal workers to infiltrate into Israel via the southern border and flood our country."

The two fences will cover a total of 70 miles. One will be in southwest Israel, near the Gaza Strip town of Rafah. The other will be built near the Red Sea port city of Eilat.

Government spokesman Mark Regev said government ministers approved the plan Sunday evening. He said a date hasn't been set for construction. The project is expected to cost about $400 million, according to local media.

Israel, a relatively affluent Western society, is a popular destination for African refugees and job seekers fleeing war-wrecked and impoverished countries.

The influx has created a dilemma for authorities. On one hand, the new arrivals strain Israel's social service system and upset the country's demographic mix, possibly tilting it away from a Jewish majority. About three-quarters of Israel's 7 million citizens are Jewish.

On the other hand, Israel is a country created in large part as a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution, and many feel they cannot turn their backs on the Africans, believing the government must be more sensitive to their needs.

Israel's policy toward the asylum seekers has been muddled, with frequent changes in rules and procedures.

At present, Africans who cross into Israel through Egypt are detained for several months in a nearby prison while their applications are processed.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,...:b29735764:z10

[stu2002]

You Go Israel!

[squarepusher]

well at least they will have concrete borders, and eliminate the skepticism that they are trying to ever increase their borders.

[Daamien]

Related topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafah_Border_Crossing

A country should not have the authority to unilaterally close a border that is not in or on its sovereign territory. Israel has little credibility on getting tough with border protection and fences when it supports Israeli settlements and is an occupier of the Gaza Strip, Western Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli...ed_territories